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Saturday, April 25, 2009

Recipe Favorites: Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites April 2009) I was thrilled when I learned to make Pilafi (Greek Lemon Rice) from my friend Georgette because it was one of many Greek dishes I'd always loved in restaurants. Georgette recommended Uncle Ben's Converted Rice to make this, and I was thrilled again when I learned that Uncle Ben's Converted Rice is a low-glycemic type of rice, even though it's white rice. Apparently the "converting" of the rice (parboiling) removes some of the starch and makes it slower to digest than regular white rice.

I made this rice over and over when I first started eating the South Beach Diet way, and it's still one of my very favorite side dishes. In fact, I have a plastic container of rice in my cupboard with this recipe written on the side with a sharpie marker, that's how often I make it! Don't be put off by the package directions for a cooking time that is much shorter than this recipe indicates, trust me and cook it at very low heat for the length of time that Georgette recommends.

Georgette's Really Lemony Greek Pilafi
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe from Georgette, who probably learned to make it from her Greek mother!)

Start heating stock in a separate pan, or heat in microwave so it's very hot or boiling. Use a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid. Saute rice in olive oil for 2 minutes., stirring often so it doesn't brown too much. Add salt and lemon juice to rice and saute 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock slowly and carefully so it doesn't splash up on you, and let it come to a boil. Then reduce heat to the lowest you can get it and still keep the liquid boiling and cook 30 minutes without peeking at all.

After 30 minutes you are allowed to peek to see if all the liquid is absorbed. If not cook a few more minutes until it has. I find it usually takes 35 minutes, but I can't keep myself from peeking after 30 minutes.

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I'd just look on the rice package to see the amounts of rice and liquid and adjust the amounts as needed. I'm guessing the cooking time might be a less for some types of rice, so check the package for that too.

Jenny, I liked the way Georgette makes this so much that I wrote the recipe and instructions on the lid of a plastic container I store my rice in. I got the container down to make sure I hadn't made a mistake in the recipe. No, it is 1 cup rice and 3 cups chicken stock. I've made it many, many times from the recipe written on that lid so I know it works for me. Did you saute the rice first and then cook it the full 35 minutes? I'm not sure what else would make a difference unless it was a different type of rice. Of course if you want to use less liquid next time, go for it.

Hi Kalyn,I was trawling the internet for good souvlaki recipes and found yours, then was looking around for a good side dish to go with it and found you again!

I was just wondering with this recipe, would I be able to do the chicken stock part of it in a rice cooker? I'll be making it at my boyfriend's house and he doesn't have a heavy bottomed pan that would be suitable. I can saute it in a regular saucepan and such, but the part with the chicken stock just won't work as his saucepan doesn't have a lid.

Lauren, I don't really know for sure. I think it should work, but I haven't used rice cookers that much. You can cook rice in stock in the rice cooker though, right? So it should be okay.

It might be helpful for you to know that the cooking time for this recipe is quite a bit longer than it says on the package for converted rice, but it does take that long. Not sure how you would adapt that for a rice cooker though. Love to hear how it turns out.

Tanna, supposedly Julia Child used Uncle Ben's Rice, but that could be an urban legend. I'd describe it as slightly chewier than regular white rice. I like it a lot, but then I like every type of rice!

Hmmmm...very similar method to my greek rice. Can't say I have ever used Uncle Bens...ever actually. But I can certainly try. I am afraid I am a convert to Basmati rice and rarely step outside of that type unless making sushi or something. Oh...well...I will recant...cause lately the 'boys' are asking for only wildrice mix. Hmm....for a supper, wildrice, mushroom and lemon/garlic? Sounds good to me. Great post there

I want to try this but I'm quite set in my ways about rice so I can't bring myself to use Uncle Ben's rice or cook it in a different way from how my grandmother taught me. :) I'll give this a go and post the results and link to you some time soon if that's ok? :)

I seem to be getting even worse than usual about replying to comments, but I'm reading them all. Murasaki would love to see what kind of variation of this you'd come up with using a more Asian type rice.

Nari, I do eat this type of thing all the time, except when I'm doing phase one every so often. South Beach is not a low carb diet, so my body is used to eating a certain amount of carbs. I'm careful to choose things that South Beach considers to be "good carbs." This is a low glycemic type of rice that's good for South Beach dieters.

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